Daily Prayer for February 4
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.” John 14:6, RSV Lord our God, help us who have listened in the name of Jesus Christ and heard the good tidings. Help us come with our whole hearts to the Savior, who leads us into your arms. Hear our pleading and let your countenance shine over the world. Let a new age come soon. Send your salvation into the world to the glory of your name, so that the truth we have learned about you becomes a reality in our hearts and our whole life can be genuine, rooted in the truth, leading us into heaven, to the honor of your name. Hear us, O Lord our God. We entrust ourselves and our daily lives to you. We want to be faithful. Help us to be your children, mindful at every step that we belong to you. Amen. Recent articles on Plough God Made Us Curious Sally Clarkson As a precocious child, I vowed that when I became a teacher I would never stifle my students’ curiosity and enthusiasm. Read now The Anabaptist Community Bible Bonnie Kristian The Anabaptist Community Bible project marks Anabaptism’s 500th anniversary, once again gathering Christians to discuss what the Scriptures demand. Read now Warning: The Bible Is Not Just a Book Alastair Roberts You can’t read the Bible like a novel. It’s not just words on a page. Read now Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer Alfred Delp Humans must have something holy to worship, or we find substitutes far more autocratic and demanding than the living God himself. Read now Claiming Groundhog Day Clare Coffey There are people who see in every popular celebration a creeping paganism. They’d be wrong about this one. Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:9
This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. —1 John 4:9 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Showing love means sharing God’s grace and giving life to someone else. No one has demonstrated this principle as fully as Jesus! His sacrifice saved us and brought us fresh and eternal life from God. God wants us to show this love to others in ways they can understand and appreciate that love and can know the love God has for them. They see God’s love in how we live as love draws them closer to our loving Father through us. My Prayer… Holy LORD, my heavenly Father, thank you for today. Please help me share my life with someone else who needs to experience your grace. Please help me notice those who are wounded and give me wisdom on the best way to lead them lovingly back to you. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
02 Feb 2025
Of all people, we should be so glad to be children of Jehovah. We are fortunate to serve a mighty God. God loves and protects His people. May we experience this day after day. Psalm 97:1-10.
Daily Prayer for February 3
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. Galatians 3:26-27, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we may come to you, for you have counted us as your children. Our hearts long to come to you, our God and Savior. May your Word bless us and restore us. Give us courageous hearts to bear the distress of our times. Let a light arise in our days so that people care about your will. Then the need on earth shall come to an end, your name shall be honored, and your will be done. Lord God, you alone are our help. Be merciful to us. Stretch out your hand so that all people may turn to you and to your commandments, and your will may be done on earth. Amen. Recent articles on Plough The Anabaptist Community Bible Bonnie Kristian The Anabaptist Community Bible project marks Anabaptism’s 500th anniversary, once again gathering Christians to discuss what the Scriptures demand. Read now Warning: The Bible Is Not Just a Book Alastair Roberts You can’t read the Bible like a novel. It’s not just words on a page. Read now Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer Alfred Delp Humans must have something holy to worship, or we find substitutes far more autocratic and demanding than the living God himself. Read now Claiming Groundhog Day Clare Coffey There are people who see in every popular celebration a creeping paganism. They’d be wrong about this one. Read now Experiencing the Divine, and the Mundane, at Church Heidie Senseman A Sunday service is a rich mixture of the holy and the human. Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:8
Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. —1 John 4:8 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… An unloving person doesn’t know God. It’s that simple. Enough said. No more words are needed. So, let’s seek the Holy Spirit’s power, poured into our hearts by God’s grace, so we can love as God has loved us (Romans 5:5). My Prayer… Father, please bless me with a loving heart and a lifestyle that generously shares your love with others. To help me do this as I should, as you want me to love, please keep pouring your love into my heart through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Daily Prayer for February 2
And those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10 NIV Dear Father in heaven, we thank you that you lead us on all our paths. Together we praise your name. We plead with you, stay with us, especially when the world grows darker. Stay with us and send down your power. Send your power in answer to our prayers. For all people we pray, “Father in heaven, these are our brothers and sisters in spite of their failures and sins.” Help them, O God. May they soon come to recognize who you are, what you do, and what you will still do, so that the whole world can be joyful and all people on earth may know the blessing of being your children. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Warning: The Bible Is Not Just a Book Alastair Roberts You can’t read the Bible like a novel. It’s not just words on a page. Read now Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer Alfred Delp Humans must have something holy to worship, or we find substitutes far more autocratic and demanding than the living God himself. Read now Claiming Groundhog Day Clare Coffey There are people who see in every popular celebration a creeping paganism. They’d be wrong about this one. Read now Experiencing the Divine, and the Mundane, at Church Heidie Senseman A Sunday service is a rich mixture of the holy and the human. Read now Perfectly Human Sarah C. Williams My daughter Cerian’s life ended an hour before she was born. She taught me so much about beauty, worth, and the gift of being. Read now
Today’s Verse – 1 John 4:7
Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. —1 John 4:7 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… The old song from the musical “Oliver” asks, “Where, oh where, is love?” This is an excellent question! Where does love come from? How is love defined and truly known? Love is with God. Love comes from God. Love is the key attribute of God. Love is from God. Love is of God. Do you want to be more loving? Do you want to find greater intensity in your love? Do you want to know how to love others who are hard to love? Look to God. And where do we see God’s love most clearly? Jesus! Look at how God demonstrates his love for us through Jesus. Over and over in the past and now even in our lives today. Once we notice how God loves, we can commit to loving others as God has loved us! My Prayer… Holy God, I want to show that you are my Father by loving others more perfectly. Please bless me as I seek to follow Jesus’ example in treating others with love. In the name of the LORD Jesus I ask for your grace to be loving like you, my Father. Amen. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
Daily Prayer for February 1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1, NIV Lord our God, we thank you that we may be your children and may be led by your hand. Give us patience and faith, especially when our way on earth seems difficult and life is full of grief and hardship. You are light. You show us the right path. You go before us in the self-denial and patience taught us by your Word. Protect us on all our ways. May your kingdom grow among us until it can be plainly seen that you, O God, are truly with us doing your work and bringing us joy, even though what we do seems fruitless. But your work endures. In your work we rejoice, and we want to give thanks to you every day. Amen. Recent articles on Plough Meditation on the Lord’s Prayer Alfred Delp Humans must have something holy to worship, or we find substitutes far more autocratic and demanding than the living God himself. Read now Claiming Groundhog Day Clare Coffey There are people who see in every popular celebration a creeping paganism. They’d be wrong about this one. Read now Experiencing the Divine, and the Mundane, at Church Heidie Senseman A Sunday service is a rich mixture of the holy and the human. Read now Perfectly Human Sarah C. Williams My daughter Cerian’s life ended an hour before she was born. She taught me so much about beauty, worth, and the gift of being. Read now Birds in the Heart of Hell Julio Grotten A Mexican prisoner’s short fiction confronts the monsters and angels of his nightmares. Read now
Today’s Verse – Psalm 84:11
For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. —Psalm 84:11 Thoughts on Today’s Verse… Isn’t it wonderful that God doesn’t hold back on his goodness? The Father loves to give his children gifts. These gifts are all-encompassing. These gifts are gladly given. How do I know? Three ways: God has repeatedly blessed us. We can see what God has done to bless his people throughout the centuries. God’s Scriptures promise this to be true. God does not withhold from us! But what happens if we are not blameless? None of us are blameless on our own, yet in Christ, God sees us as his blameless children if we keep pursuing Jesus. As we do, the LORD blesses us with grace upon grace (John 1:16) Video Commentary… ToGather Worship Guide | More ToGather Videos My Prayer… Father, thank you for the many blessings you have poured into my life. I want to list several that are on my heart today. (Make a list of things you are thankful for and share them with God as we pray.) Most of all, Father, thank you for the gift of your Son and my Savior who allows me to come before you “holy in [your] sight, without blemish and free from accusation.”* I get to come before you confidently, knowing I will receive your gracious gifts and loving promises. In Jesus’ name, I rejoice as I pray to you. Amen. * Colossians 1:22-23.All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.
31 Jan 2025
And as we do life, let our focus remain on God. May we allow Him to order our steps. He is the creator. Leaning on Him and trusting Him always should be how we live. It requires patience and practice. Matthew 6:28-34.